flounder
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flounder¹
- /ˈflaʊ̯ndəː/ UK
- /ˈflæʊ̯ndəː/
- /ˈflaːndəː/
- /ˈflaʊ̯ndɚ/ Canadian, US, Standard
- /ˈflæʊ̯ndɚ/
- /ˈflaːndɚ/
Rhymes with -aʊndə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English flowndre, from Anglo-Norman floundre, from Old Northern French flondre, from Old Norse flyðra, from Proto-Germanic *flunþrijǭ. Cognate with Danish flynder, German Flunder, Swedish flundra.
noun flounder · flounders
- A European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder (Platichthys flesus). Water Souchy. Eels, whitings, soles, flounders, and mackerel are generally used. Stew it in clear fish stock, until done, eight minutes will be enough; add cayenne, catsup, an anchovy, and any other flavouring ingredient; let it boil up, skim, and serve hot altogether in a tureen.
- Any of various flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae or Bothidae. Blackfishing from the beach. I've done my research. Hundreds of shipwrecks line the Jersey coast, and many of them are close enough to reach with a long cast on a dead-low tide. These wrecks hold tautog, porgies, sea bass, flounder.
- A bootmaker's tool for crimping boot fronts.
flounder²
- /ˈflaʊ̯ndəː/ UK
- /ˈflæʊ̯ndəː/
- /ˈflaːndəː/
- /ˈflaʊ̯ndɚ/ Canadian, US, Standard
- /ˈflæʊ̯ndɚ/
- /ˈflaːndɚ/
Rhymes with -aʊndə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
Possibly from the noun. Probably a blend of flounce + founder or a blend of founder + blunder or from Dutch flodderen (“wade”). See other terms beginning with fl, such as flutter, flitter, float, flap, flub, flip.
verb flounders · floundering · floundered
- To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered. He gave a good speech, but floundered when audience members asked questions he could not answer well.
- To flop around as a fish out of water.
- To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance. Robert yanked Connie's leg vigorously, causing her to flounder and eventually fall.
- To be in serious difficulty. Meanwhile bus and tram competition was causing the Central London Railway to flounder after its early success, and as for the City & South London ... that had always floundered.
Similar: faulter
Thesaurus
verb
Similar: faulter
Translations
Every language
noun Platichthys flesus
| Español | platija |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 川鰈 /川鲽 chuāndié |
| Português | linguado, solha |
| Français | flet |
| Deutsch | Flunder |
| Ελληνικά | πλευρονήκτης plevroníktis, ψήσσα psíssa |
| Русский | речна́я ка́мбала rečnája kámbala |
verb to act clumsily or confused
| Español | trastabillar, titubear, tartalear, trastrabillar, tartalearse |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | まごつく magotsuku |
| Deutsch | straucheln, herumholpern |
| Ελληνικά | παραδέρνω paradérno |
| Русский | сбива́ться sbivátʹsja, сби́ться sbítʹsja |
verb to flop around
| Português | debater-se |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | herumzappeln, hüpfen, taumeln |
| Ελληνικά | σπαρταρώ spartaró |
| Русский | бара́хтаться baráxtatʹsja |
verb to attempt to move or regain one's balance
| Español | trastabillar, tambalearse |
|---|---|
| Français | tituber |
| Deutsch | Schwierigkeiten haben, sich fangen wollen |
| Ελληνικά | παραπαίω parapaío |
Talk about this word "flounder." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/flounder. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. flounder. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/flounder "flounder." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/flounder.Cite this
@misc{flounder_2026,
title = {flounder},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/flounder},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
